In affidavits obtained by KRLD NewsRadio 1080, Mohsin Zia admitted to investigators that he was in his apartment trying to make K2, a synthetic marijuana, using a method he found online. Zia said the mixture caught fire and quickly spread from his apartment, near the George Bush Turnpike and Macarthur Boulevard.

The December 3 blaze would eventually consume an entire building at the Arbors of Las Colinas apartment complex. A total of 22 individual units were destroyed and several people, trapped on the upper floors of the three-story building, jumped from windows and balconies to safety. At least two people were injured and more than 50 people were left homeless.

The day of the fire apartment resident Ryan Andrade told CBS 11 News, We didn’t know there was a fire until somebody banged on our door and ran off. We saw the window was orange and as soon as we opened the door we felt the heat. We grabbed our wallets and ran out, and it was just crazy.”

All along Irving assistant fire chief Rusty Wilson said he felt that some type of chemical had sparked the blaze. “When the fire has already traveled past room and contents and gotten into the structure itself, that quickly, then yes there’s usually something to that.”

Zia suffered second and third degree burns in the fire that caused more than $1,000,000 in damage. He is now charged with two counts of Arson and also faces charges for manufacturing a controlled substance.